This invention relates generally to a vacuum actuated chemical dispensing system, and more particularly, to a vacuum actuated detergent or chemical dispenser and a method of dispensing the chemical using a vacuum.
In conventional chemical dispensing systems for dispensing detergents and other chemical cleansers, a manually operated system is usually provided.
In a typical application, a hand operated soap dispenser is located over a sink in which dishes, glasses, pots and pans are washed. Dishwashing detergent usually maintains its detergent power for an extended period of time. Dishwashing detergent can be applied in measured amounts in order to obtain the greatest economic benefit.
Detergents and other chemical cleansers are often used indiscriminately in commercial and industrial establishments even though the quantity of detergent used can contribute a significant amount to the cost of doing business, for example, in restaurants or in industrial locations in which parts or components must be cleaned or degreased.
In other prior units, mixing units have been used to dilute or mix soap into a spray or stream of water as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,397,050 and 2,886,214. U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,964 discloses the use of both vacuum and pressure to operate a diaphragm to fill a metering chamber with acid and then discharge the acid into a water softener unit in a two step, vacuum then pressure, operation. A pressurized soap dispensing metering valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,435 in which a combination spring actuated faucet and a ball member movable within an inclined passage meters the amount of soap discharged through the faucet. U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,920 discloses a proximity apparatus associated with a wash basin to provide alternate wash, soap and rinse cycles with the use of a pump operated soap dispenser. U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,489 discloses a hand operated soap dispenser pump combined with a sink stopper linkage arrangement. Manual operated devices and soap mixing apparatus can be operated to dispense uncontrolled amounts of soap. Known metering devices are complicated by reliance on both a fluid pressure and a vacuum source or require an expensive modification or a complicated faucet mechanism.
The vacuum actuated chemical dispensing system of the present invention solves these and other problems in a manner not disclosed in the known prior art.